Railroad-switch



(No Model.)

W. S. ARNOLD.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

No. 380,972. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

William N. PL] ans, Phulo-Lilhognpher. Washington. D, c,

- Unrrhn 'rarns arr moron,

\VILLIAM S. ARNOLD, OF CLYDE, KANSAS.

RAiLROAD SWiTCl-l.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No..380,9'72, dated April 10, 1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM S. ARNOLD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Clyde, in the county of Cloud and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

,clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this by a simple and automatically-working construction.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of myimproved construction. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line do wof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line y y of Fig. 1.

A indicates the main track, and B the side track, which are mounted in the well-known manner. To the under side of one section of the main-track rail A, adjacent to the switching-point, a transversely-arranged metallic bar, 0, is secured, which has two rods, 0, attached to the under side thereof, and are secured to one arm of bell-crank levers D, pivotally supported on suitable fulcrum-pins, d, and one end of the bar 0 is connected to a target, WV, by a rod, W The central top portion of the bar 0 has a plate, G, secured there to, one edge of which is formed with two curved indentations, c, which are alternately engaged bya frictional roller, 6, carried in the end of a longitudinally-sliding frame, E, which is provided with a rod, E, encircled by a coiled spring, S, the said spri ng having bearing against an upwardly-projecting lug, e, secured adjacent thereto, and through which and a staple,

e secured to one of the ties, the rod E has movement. The rear portion of the frame E is reduced and engaged by headed guidepins e, secured to a transversely-mounted bar, W, upon which the ends of the rails move, and to which the target W is secured to one side, of the main track A. The other arm of the bellcrank lever D has a longitudinally-mounted connecting-rod, D, secured thereto, the opposite end'of said rod being connected toa transversely-mounted lever, F, passing through. a guide-lug,f, secured to one side of the rails. The inner end of the lever F is of a curved configuration and normally projects upward.

Two curved rails, S and S are secured to the ties between the side and main track rails, and project over and are in engagement with the inner curved ends of the levers F, which are mounted on each side of the tracks, having similarly situated connecting-rods and bellcrank levers in connection with the rod 0 of,

the bar 0.

The rails S and S project slightly above the rails adjacent to which they are-mounted,

and the rail S lies nearer one of the side-track rails, and the oppositely-situated rail S close to one of the main-track rails. The said rails are enlarged at their upwardly-curved portions to resist the frictional wear of the car- Wheels passing thereover. The connectingrods D and parts attached thereto are inclosed in sheathing-boxes W, and the rods 0 extend downward on an incline from each side of the under central part of the bar 0, and are secured to the bell-crank levers D, as hereinbefore set forth.

When a train runs out on the side track, B, toward the main track, either backward or forward, the first series of car-wheels ride over the rail S and press said rail and the upwardly-projecting end of the lever F downward, drawing the main track A, to which the bar 0 is connected, over in alignment with the side track, and at the same time throwing the target W toone side. If the train just leaving the siding would take the direction of travel indicated by the arrow 2, theswitch might be left open. The forward wheels of a train, therefore, running on the main track in the direction of the arrow 1 would pass over the rail S and reverse the movement of the switch and render the main line intact. This is due to the action of the bell-crank levers D and their connections, which operate as will be readily understood.

When theswitch is adj usted asj ust described, the friction-roller 6 travels from one indentation 0 to the other in the edge of the plate 0, and a temporary retention thereby obtained.

It will be readily observed that a train movinginthe direction of arrow3 on the main line will only tend to keep the main line intact, as the wheels of the cars would pass over the railplate S which always has the tendency to close the switch.

The utility and advantage of my improved switch and the safety accorded by the use thereof are obviously apparent,and it is unnec essaryto further enlarge upon the same herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. The combination of the main and side tracks, A and B, the transverse bar 0, having the plate 0, provided with curved indentations, the roller 6, carried by a sliding frame, E, the rods 0, the bell-crank levers D, the connecting-rods D, the levers F, having inner upwardly-bent ends, and the rails S and S substantially as described.

2. The combination of the main and side tracks, A and B, the transverse bar 0, having the central top plate, 0, provided with curved indentations, the roller 6, carried in the end of a spring-actuated Sliding frame, E, the rod 0, connected to the end of the bar 0, the rod W connected to the bar 0 and target W, the bellcrank levers D, also connected to the rods 0,

the connecting-rods D, the levers F, having the inner upwardly bent curved ends, and the flat upwardly-curved rails S and S, enlarged at their central portions and adapted to engage with upwardly-projecting ends f of the levers F, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

LEE D. CRAIG, RUFUS B. PAGE. 

